“What now?” I grumbled, knowing I wasn’t going to like what he had to say.
“You’re not going to like what I have to say,” Apollo said. “I knew she was good. But I think we fucked up by showing our faces together. She looked into everyone in your life and didn’t find anything, because I’m just that good. But when I showed up, she recognized me. She looked into my life, and she found your old one.”
God.
Dammit.
I’d have to leave.
There was no way I could stay here now.
Shit.
Shit, shit, shit!
“Don’t freak out just yet,” he ordered. “You’re well hidden. At this point, she only suspects. But you look nothing like what you used to look like. When you went into prison, you were seventy-five pounds lighter and had the baby face of all baby faces. You don’t look anything like that man anymore. Plus, the old you is dead.”
I closed my eyes as exhaustion washed through me.
I knew this life was too good to be true.
This life. This place. This woman.
Nothing was ever for me.
I didn’t have the kind of life conducive with being this happy.
I…
“Romeo.”
Apollo’s snap had me blinking past the panic. “Yeah?”
“Don’t freak out,” he repeated.
Yeah right.
Easy for him to say.
His whole life wasn’t currently flashing before his eyes.
“Got the boys rounded up. Gentry’s at the police station watching the girl’s so-called stepmother. Get down to the country club so we can make plans.” He paused. “Leave Mable behind. I want to get everything figured out before we bring her in.”
“Will do,” I said, stomach souring. “They need me right now?”
“Yeah,” Apollo said. “Waiting on you.”
I ground my teeth and cursed again inwardly.
Of course this was my life.
“I’m booking a flight back now.”
I’d no sooner hung up with Apollo just to have to answer it again when Gentry called.
“What?” I growled.
“We have a problem, man,” Gentry said carefully. “She’s in custody. But she knows, man. She wants to talk to your girl.”
